Charlotte, NC -- The man accused in the death of former Concord Police Chief Merl Hamilton's daughter pleaded guilty in court and has been sentenced to more than seven years behind bars.
Assistant District Attorney Bill Bunting told WBTV, 37-year-old Michael Harvey pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in the death of Valarie Hamilton on Friday.
Harvey also pleaded guilty to concealing a body and being a habitual felon. In all, the Judge sentenced him to 87-114 months in prison.
The case goes back to September 2010 when Valarie Hamilton's body was found inside a storage locker and Harvey went missing.
An autopsy report determined that Hamilton died of a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine.
Hamilton and Harvey reportedly met at a Tavern on September 14, 2010, and went back to Harvey's home early the next morning.
That's when Harvey and Hamilton used heroin.
Witnesses say Hamilton became ill and asked Harvey to her medical attention, but he took her to a motel instead. Hotel security saw Hamilton slumped over in the Harvey's truck in the parking lot, but was told that she was drunk.
Havey told investigators he put Hamilton to bed at the motel and woke on Wednesday, September 15, to find her dead. The next day he said he wrapped her body in a sheet and hid the body in a storage unit, and went to New York.
Hamilton's body was found by police several days later and Harvey was arrested in New York.
Harvey also admitted to interfering with Hamilton's ability to get medical treatment by moving her to the motel and away from assistance.
Friends of the victim reported that Hamilton had previously struggled with a cocaine addiction. At the time of her death, Hamilton's blood and urine contained cocaine, morphine (heroin), pain-killers and a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
The District Attorney's Office agreed to allow the defendant to plead to these charges after talking with Hamilton's father.
Merl Hamilton was the chief of police for the Concord Police Department at the time of his daughter's death.